So this category was judged by FionaCakes91 and myself. I did the scoring and she helped me with the reviews. She has an eye for the horror and fantasy genre and I wanted her take on the books. She loved all your stories and she thinks all of you deserve higher scores than I gave you guys, but she's just too sweet... Well what do you expect, she has cake as a part of her name. Now to the results.

🍌HONORARY MENTION;
Donovan Castle Chronicles: Volume 1: by ColorfulWorldOfMine

Genre: 4/5: I agree with this score and I see why it lost a point because I felt it leaned a little to the Fantasy genre, but a book can belong to many genres at a time. Diversity is one of the many keys to a book's success.

Title: 2/5: I like the title, but for some reason, Kristoff doesn't think it fits well with the genre, but I disagree, the word Chronicles may be an overused title but it still is a good match for the horror genre.

Blurb: 3/5: This score I agree with. The blurb is informative and gives readers a glimpse of what to expect in the book, but the execution was poor and not so well written. So I think a bit of revamping is needed there.

First Chapter: 5/10: The mention of the thunderstorm gave the story a very strong start. It immediately set the pace and the excitement for me. So I was anticipating what wonders would happen next. But as I continued into the chapter, the intense high in which the beginning gave me started to wear off, the gripping effect was plummeting fast. For me, it was the diary entries. I think they are interesting factors that add to the thrill of the story (now we see where the title of the book comes in), but they could have been incorporated more uniquely. I did learn a few things from the diary entries but maybe keep the two most gripping entries and eliminate the others and fit them in another time. I think this will give the readers time to process one or two thrilling pieces of information at a time. Maybe I would have given you a 6 or 7 though.

Grammar/Punctuation: 16/20: Grammar was not bad at all. Just some mixed tenses here and there, nothing to worry about, nothing a little editing can't fix. Same with the punctuation, but overall you did great.

Spelling/Vocabulary: 18/20: I was impressed, your spelling is excellent. Your vocabulary is also great, just step up in finding better adjectives especially when you are describing something/someone.

Plot: 24/30: Love the plot. It did have some engaging elements and the journal readings are very insightful. But for me, the pacing was a bit too slow. Also, working on world-building is something I should tell myself too. With a paranormal story, this aspect is important, it is what sets your book apart from a regular teenage/young adult read. Put some more imaginative elements so that your readers can be teleported inside the world you create.

Literary Devices: 7/10: Good usage of literary devices. Maybe a bit more similes and/or metaphors can be added to create a better reading experience.

Description: 6/10: Fair usage of descriptions, just remember to not only describe your character's outer appearance but do a little description of their personalities also. So for example, if you are going to describe a mermaid, don't just tell us about her tail color, her long pretty hair, and stuff like that. Tell us about her scales and sharp teeth/fin. Tell us about how poisonous her bite is or her hypnotic siren voice. There was this part where a character levitated or teleported and I wanted a deeper description of how it happened. Does the character's heart slow down? Does their mouth get dry and their eyes glow?... Do you know what I mean? Be creative with the descriptions.

Character: 7/10: Descent character development. They needed a little more molding but they still were relatable.

Connection: 7/10: I liked the story so far. Very interesting and I found enjoyment in the chapters I read. It's definitely a book I would read.

Originality: 8/10: A very original piece. The writer did an awesome job in putting their own twist on this story.

Overall Impression: 7/10: The writer did a good job. Only a few minor details that need fixing so this story can be at the top.

TOTAL: 114/155

🍌OUR THIRD-PLACE WINNER IS;
🥉The Girl From The Mire by pauljohnnelson

Genre: 5/5

Title: 5/5

Blurb: 2/5: The blurb has a hooking, catchy, suspenseful thing going on, but I still felt like it is missing something crucial.

First Chapter: 8/10: A very unearthly and riveting start. I knew immediately that this wasn't a girl but something not of this earth. I needed to know what happened to her, is she dead? Did someone do this to her? I had so many questions. I liked the way the writer showed us the scenery through this thing's eyes, I felt bad for her, and I wanted her to be alright. I enjoyed the first chapter.

Grammar/Punctuation: 18/20: Grammar was excellent, just a few odd sentence constructions and the punctuation was near perfect.

Spelling/Vocabulary: 20/20

Literary Devices: 10/10: Your play on words was beautiful and sometimes dark and sinister and it just worked so well with the storyline. Well done.

Descriptions: 10/10: You painted such an elaborate scenery with your amazing descriptions. I was pulled into your story and I became the Girl From The Mire. Your writing style is somewhat poetic and it worked so well with the plot of this story.

Plot: 25/30: A great plot, maybe the most unique and original in this genre, but even though we think you did well, we thought you were too focused on the emotional connections and building of the character that you lost a bit of focus on the major plot of the story.

Character: 8/10: You did a great job in character development.

Connection: 8/10: I felt the emotions and I think you did wonderfully in ensuring your readers experienced what you wrote.

Originality: 10/10

Overall Impression: 10/10

TOTAL: 139/155

🍌OUR SECOND-PLACE WINNER IS;
🥈Bayou of Brokenness by cassandracas1

Genre: 5/5

Title: 5/5

Blurb: 5/5

First Chapter: 7/10: I don't agree with the scoring for the first chapter, I think maybe an 8 or 9, but Kristoff thought the prologue is nice and thrilling and needed editing. I liked the eerie suspense and even though I agree that it needs revising, I still thought it was creepy and scary enough for readers to dive into the story. The whole history of Serenity Lake and the haunting aspects of it all gave me goosebumps, so I think the writer did well there.

Grammar/Punctuation: 16/20: I saw a few mixed tenses, but nothing a little editing won't fix. Minor punctuation errors, but I must commend the writer for the wonderful dialects, the conversations were very entertaining and flowed smoothly in every chapter.

Spelling/Vocabulary: 19/20: Vocabulary was perfect and also spelling, just some typos here and there.

Literary Devices: 6/10: I agree that the writer needs to incorporate stronger literary devices into this book, especially since it is the scariest story in this category.

Description: 8/10: Nice usage of descriptions, especially with the little jump scares, you did well there.

Plot: 30/30: The readers may think they know how this story will turn out, but the twists and turns will have your head rolling. I really think people should give this book a read. It has the scare effect and it was the only book in this category that when I read it, I felt like I was in a movie. Plus it's only 10 chapters and the ending will have you saying, "No fucking way!" Well done to the writer.

Character: 10/10

Connection: 10/10

Originality: 10/10

Overall Impression: 10/10: A great horror flick that just keeps getting more and more entertaining in every chapter.

TOTAL: 141/155

🍌AND OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER IS;
🥇Near Touch by Gauravaaditya

Genre: 3/5: Even though Caleb is an apparition, sometimes I didn't remember that this was a paranormal read, it felt like Teen Romance, so that's why it lost 2 points here.

Title: 3/5: Not the best title, could have been more creative.

Blurb: 3/5: This story is so amazing and I felt the blurb didn't do it much justice.

First Chapter: 10/10: The detailing in the first chapter blew me away. I was there with Amy every step of the way. I could envision every event because the literary devices and descriptions brought the scenery to life. I loved every moment of it.

Grammar/Punctuation: 19/20: Everything was perfect, just some punctuation tweaking is needed.

Spelling/Vocabulary: 20/20

Literary Devices: 10/10: Your literary devices were not only beautiful but very unique. With the effort of thought, you put into them, I wish you could have gotten 20 out of 10. I am very impressed.

Description: 10/10: Your descriptions didn't only paint scenery and character attributes, but they set all of my five senses a light. The way you described the emotions, the seeing, touching, smelling... Every tiny detail you put into this masterpiece showcased how much of a talented author you are and as a writer myself, I have to give you the props you deserve. It's been a while since I found a writer with a writing style I admire so much. Well done.

Plot: 28/30: Great plotline, Kristoff just felt like the pacing was too slow and focused more on the chemistry between Amy and Caleb instead of concentrating on finding out what happened to Caleb, but still a kick-ass story.

Character: 10/10

Connection: 10/10

Originality: 8/10

Overall Impression: 10/10

TOTAL: 144/155

🍌CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL, AND I HOPE YOU LIKE YOUR STICKERS.🍌